Remember glass blocks of ’80s bathrooms? They’re back
Advantages include safety, affordability and privacy
By H annah Holland Special to The Washington Post
ALONG WITH 1980S
neon manicures and vintage ’90s blazers, glass blocks are making a comeback thanks in part to a new fan base on social media. One Instagram reel showcasing several types of the retro building material has racked up more than 5 million views since March. It features cross-hatched blocks, frosted blocks and fluted blocks, underscoring the fact that the latest iterations aren’t always quite what you remember from your aunt’s gaudy apartment or the restaurant with a smoking section where you celebrated family birthdays.
Glass blocks have more than just good looks going for them, too. They’re a relatively affordable choice for homeowners who want to add architectural interest or natural light without sacrificing privacy. They’re even known for enhancing fire safety.
“Glass blocks have this inherent luminosity to them, while also solving … technical problems,” says Brendan Guerin, founding member of the firm Guerin Glass Architects, which operates in Honolulu, Los Angeles and Brooklyn.
Here’s why the glass block renaissance just makes sense.
Privacy and light
There’s a very good reason glass blocks became so associated with luxury ’80s and ’90s bathrooms: They let in natural light without exposing inhabitants to the outside world the way a typical window would. This remains a key draw for architects today.
Brad Swartz of Brad Swartz Architects, a firm that specializes in urban spaces in Sydney, explains that glass blocks were an ideal solution when he was tasked with designing a home in an alleyway, along with designer Henry Wilson. The location was dark and tight, with
neighbors in close proximity. Swartz stacked glass blocks, etched on one side to enhance privacy, around nearly the entire front of the house.
“The way they let light through is really beautiful and changes throughout the day,” he says. This project drew inspiration from one of the most enduring glass block masterpieces: the Maison de Verre, a 1930s residence in Paris distinguished by its glass blocks with circles in the center. Like Swartz and Wilson’s alleyway project, the Maison de Verre includes entire walls of the material.
According to west Michigan-based WMGB Home Improvement, a remodeling company that specializes in glass blocks, the most popular version it sells has a wavy pattern that diffuses light. However, it provides numerous designs and even colored blocks.
Brent Buck, principal of Brent Buck Architects in New York City, says it’s that variation that separates the contemporary glass blocks from the 1980s and ’90s ones. “I think when people think of glass blocks, they go, ‘Oh, there was one specific type of glass block’ and it was ubiquitous for that time period.”
Christopher Adams, founder of Pohio Adams Architects, also in Sydney, turned to glass blocks for a past project in a challenging location. The home backed up onto an apartment building, giving many of those neighbors a direct sightline into the property. To shield his clients from prying eyes, Adams encased the first floor with glass blocks. The result? “This lovely, watery light, and you were unaware of the suburban surrounds.”
Both Adams and Buck say some of their recent glass block projects took cues from New York City’s Soho neighborhood, where you’ll find small, circular glass bulbs inlaid on Broadway and Canal streets. They’re easily mistaken for art, but they’re actually remnants of Soho’s past as an industrial center. According to the Soho Broadway Initiative,
“The glass blocks have an air pocket in the middle of them. They’re not solid glass, and that affects the price.”
Brad Swartz of Brad Swartz Architects
A
they were known as vault lights or deadlights, and functioned as tiny skylights that illuminated factory basements. To provide natural light for his client’s basement and some architectural interest to a kitchen, Adams similarly “set cast glass pavers into the concrete slab under the timber floor of the kitchen.” Along with the filtered light, says Adams, “it creates this beautiful shadow effect when someone walks over it.”
Affordability
While cost for individual projects is highly variable, the architects interviewed for this story described glass blocks as an affordable option. Guerin even crunched the numbers for us, estimating that a glass block wall, including labor and installation, would typically cost $30 to $40 per square foot. By comparison, he says, a traditional glass wall could run closer to $100 per square foot.
“The glass blocks have an air pocket in the middle
are
of them,” explains Swartz. “They’re not solid glass, and that affects the price.” But keep in mind that glass blocks are not the same thing as glass bricks, which are generally rectangular, rather than square, and solid glass without an air pocket. This makes them almost prohibitively expensive for most renovators’ budgets.
While the Maison de Verre
may be the gold standard of glass block architecture, most contemporary projects won’t require quite so many glass blocks.
These days, explains Brent, “they’re generally being used as a detail element or a feature. You’re only buying a few of them.” Which, of course, also saves money.
SEE BLOCKS, PAGE F3
glass block wall, interior design. There
many variations that separate the contemporary glass blocks from the 1980s and ’90s ones. (ADOBE STOCK IMAGE)
GARDEN NOTES
STOCKBRIDGE
Upcoming programs at Berkshire Botanical Garden
Berkshire Botanical Garden presents the following upcoming programs: Beginning Monday, July 1, Music Mondays return to BBG. Join in for this outdoor concert series and enjoy the sounds of summer. Find the perfect spot to picnic amidst the Garden’s beauty while enjoying performances from
some of our region’s most talented performers. Barefoot dancing on the lawn is always encouraged. On July 1, BBG welcomes Misty Blues, featuring classic rock and folk tunes infused with a healthy dose of the blues. Performances run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Food trucks will be available at selected performances. Cost is $15 members, $20 nonmembers. To register or for more information, visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. Berkshire Botanical Garden is located at 5 West Stockbridge Road.
Send items for Garden Notes to pmastriano@ repub.com two weeks prior to publication.
Safety
Glass blocks can also enhance the safety of a structure. “One reason you’d use glass blocks instead of just a window is that you’re trying to achieve a fire rating,” Buck says. “That means we can utilize them in places where you wouldn’t otherwise be able to put a transparent material.” Swartz echoed that point, explaining that their fire-separation properties were one of the original reasons glass blocks came into use. “If there is a fire in your house, glass will just shatter, whereas the glass blocks will last longer.”
Guerin points out that glass blocks share many of the same properties as masonry blocks and can be used, within reason, in a similar way. “There is load-bearing capacity there; there is horizontal wind-loading and, by extension, seismic capacity there to withstand things.” The steel rods incorporated while installing glass blocks help, too.
Maybe the most famous example of using glass blocks for structural integrity can be found within the Maison Hermès, the Japanese headquarters of the luxe
French brand, in the heart of Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district. Hermès commissioned Italian architect Renzo Piano in 1998 to build its headquarters in compliance with Tokyo’s stringent earthquake and fire regulations.
According to the Renzo Piano Building Workshop, “the glass block facade is designed to act like a curtain in the event of an earthquake, allowing it to move via the flexible seals between the blocks by as much as 4mm, absorbing rather than resisting seismic shock.”
They’re cool
From Maison de Verre to Soho sidewalks, glass blocks have an architectural history that is more cutting-edge and timeless than their 1980s reputation might suggest. “Glass blocks, in my mind, [aren’t 1980s Miami]; they’re early modernist in 1930s Paris,” says Guerin. “Good design grows out of historic appreciation.”
And besides, “the blocks are cool,” says Swartz. “They’re this really old product that has been reused in a more beautiful, modern way.”
Hannah Holland is a news producer and freelance writer based in Brooklyn, New York.
The Berkshire Botanical Garden ornamental vegetable garden.
Lee Reich | In the garden
Using space and time to make a better garden
OVER THE YEARS I’VE GREATly expanded my vegetable garden, for bigger harvests, without making it any bigger. How? By what I have called (in my book “Weedless Gardening”) multidimensional gardening.
I thought about this today as I looked upon a bed from which I had pulled snow peas and had just planted cauliflower, cabbage, and lettuce. Let’s compare this bed with the more traditional planting of single rows of plants, each row separated by wide spaces for walking in for hoeing weeds, harvesting, and other activities. No foot ever sets foot in my beds, which are 3 feet wide. Rather than the traditional one-dimensional planting, I add a dimension — width — by planting three rows up that bed. Or more, if I’m planting smaller plants such as carrots or onions.
Let’s backtrack in time to when the bed was home to peas. Oregon Sugar Pod peas grow about 3 feet tall, so after planting them in early April, I made accommodations for them to utilize a third dimension in that bed: up. A three-
foot high, temporary, chicken wire fence allowed them to grow up, flanked on one side by a row of radishes and on the other side by a row of lettuce.
There you have it, three dimensions. The bed length. The bed width, only 3 feet wide, with three or more rows down its length. And up.
Three dimensions isn’t the end of the story for multidimensional gardening. Time is another dimension. Neither peas nor radishes nor lettuce, occupy any bed for a whole season. Peas peter out in hot weather which, along with longer days, tells radish and lettuce plants that it’s time to go to seed. Those conditions tell me that radish roots are getting pithy, and lettuce gets bitter, so out they go. In my planting of cabbage, cauliflower, and lettuce, closer planting is possible because it allows room for longer maturing plants to expand as quicker maturing plants get harvested and out of the way. The middle row of the bed is planted to Charming Snow cauliflower, which will be ready for harvest around the first half of September. I can’t dawdle with that harvest because,
cabbage — an heirloom variety noted for its flavor — in a row eight inches away from the row of cauliflowers. The plants in the cabbage row are staggered with those in the cauliflower row, putting a little more space between plants from one row to the other. Early Jersey Wakefield will mature towards the end of September; no need to run out and harvest them all once they’re ready. In cool weather, the heads stay tasty and solid right out in the garden.
The row of Bartolo cabbage — a good storage variety — flanks the cauliflower on the other side of the bed. Bartolo requires 115 days to maturity.
Between each of the cabbage plants I’ve transplanted one or two lettuce seedlings. They’ll be ready for harvest and starting to get out of the way within a couple of weeks.
By Jessica Damiano Associated Press
Peanuts are generally grown in southern climes.
Most come from China, India, Nigeria and the southern U.S., which all fall squarely in climates in or similar to USDA hardiness zones 8-11. Which is to say, their summers are long enough to allow for the up to 150 days necessary for the plants to reach maturity.
But with some planning, home growers as far north as zone 6 can also have success growing peanuts for snacking, peanut butter and, of course, bragging rights.
If you live in one of those more northern areas, direct sowing isn’t possible, so you’ll have to purchase starter plants or start seeds early indoors (or in a greenhouse, if you have one). Then transplant them outdoors two to three weeks after the danger of frost has
passed.
With that date in mind, research your first fall frost date and calculate whether there are enough days between them to allow your chosen peanut variety to mature: Valencia takes 90110 days; Spanish, 90-120; Virginia and runner types, 130-150. If not, calculate the number of extra days (but no less than 14) they’ll need to develop indoors and start seeds accordingly. Don’t subtract more days because
left too long, cauliflower curds become loose and quality plummets.
I’ve planted Early Jersey Wakefield
starting seeds too early can result in leggy, stressed plants.
In my Long Island, New York, garden, I would aim for an early April start date.
I recommend buying seeds from a specialty garden center or a seed catalog. Yes, you can theoretically crack open raw, unsalted, in-the-shell peanuts from the grocery store and plant them — and if you do, take care not to remove the red seed coat — but you’ll have
How long a vegetable takes to mature, what kind of weather it likes, and the length of the growing season all need to be considered in order to make best use of four dimensions in the vegetable garden.
no way of knowing which variety you are planting or how long they’ve been sitting in their shells and under what conditions.
In zones 8-11, plant seeds directly outdoors in full sun (a south-facing slope is ideal) between mid-April
and mid-June. Loosen soil and sow 2 inches deep and 10 inches apart in rows 20 inches apart. Keep the soil moist until they sprout, then provide 1 to 1½ inches of water per week, including rainfall.
Making good use of space and time, lettuce seedlings will soon be ready for harvest and out of the way of the longer season cabbage plants. (LEE REICH PHOTO)
Doing so, it’s often possible to grow three different crops in the same bed in a single season. I made up a table listing some combinations that have worked well in my planting beds according to preferred temperature (cool or warm) and time needed until harvest (short, medium, or long season). That’s for here in the Northeast, with a growing season of about 170 days. For example, looking at the first group, a tomato bed could start with lettuce, which will be out of the way by the time tomato transplants have spread to need the space. An example from the second group would be a bed with an early planting of turnips followed by a planting of okra followed by a planting of spinach.
A big advantage of these mixed plantings is that they present less of a visual or olfactory target for pests to hone in on, and they cover the
ground enough to shade it to limit weed growth.
Is it possible to find yet another dimension in the vegetable garden, a dimension beyond space and time? The Twilight Zone? Sort of. This fifth dimension is made up of a few tricks designed to find time where it is not, tricks such as using row covers for extra heat and pre-sprouting seeds meant to add days or weeks to the beginning and/or end of the growing season. But mid-July isn’t the time to detail ways of adding this dimension.
Trying to fill every available niche of physical space and time in the vegetable garden is like doing a four- (or is it five-?) dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Assembling this puzzle can sometimes bring on as much frustration as doing a real jigsaw puzzle. When I began gardening, I would sometimes get overwrought trying to integrate every multidimensional “puzzle” piece into every square inch of garden. Then I learned: When in doubt, just go ahead and plant.
This table shows some examples of how to reap more vegetables from smaller gardens.
Any gardening questions? Email them to me at garden@leereich.com and I’ll try answering them directly or in
this column. Come visit my garden at www.leereich.com/blog.
Home Finder
Home Finder
Terry and Kim KoveL | Antiques
& Collecting
Table likely built by long-gone New York firm
IDENTIFY THE DEsigner of an antique and it will usually sell for more. Sometimes an attribution is enough. This Aesthetic Movement table with ebonized finish, incised gilt decoration and flower panels sold for an impressive $6,144 at Neal Auction. While you can’t dismiss its visual appeal — after all, it was made during the Aesthetic Movement of the late 19th century, the time of “art for art’s sake” — its attribution to New York firm Kimbel & Cabus was probably a factor in its selling.
The Kimbel & Cabus firm was active from 1862 to 1882 and famous for exhibiting their furniture at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876. The ebonized table is typical of their designs, with its dark finish, elaborate gilt and incising, sturdy square shape and nature-inspired decoration. Very little information about the firm survives. They marked their furniture with paper labels that have worn away over time, so the only way to identify their furniture is to match it to the pictures in their one surviving trade catalog. That is why this table is attributed to them, not confirmed. Because they are so difficult to identify, Kimbel & Cabus furniture pieces are extremely rare, and therefore valuable.
Q. I have quite a large collection of Roseville pottery. Do you know where I can find current prices?
A. For current prices, we recommend checking local stores or looking online. There are several books on Roseville Pottery that are helpful for identification, like “Warman’s Roseville Pottery” (second edition, Denise Rago, 2007) or “The Collectors Encyclopedia of Roseville Pottery” (Volume
The maker of this decorated table is not known, but it is believed to be Kimbel & Cabus, an important furniture company in the American Aesthetic Movement. (NEAL AUCTION)
2, Revised Edition, Sharon & Bob Huxford and Mike Nickel, 2001), but they are old enough that prices are outdated. The website Just Art Pottery (justartpottery. com) is a good source for information and prices. It has a section for Roseville. Another way to find current prices is to check recent auction results. Look online for auction houses that specialize in art pottery and search their archives of past auctions. Rago Auction (ragoarts.com) has a strong reputation in the art pottery world. Remember, with pottery, condition is an important factor in price.
Q. I need help identifying an antique witch ball passed through generations of my family. I don’t know anything about it.
A. Witch balls are hollow balls of blown glass that are suspended in the air or placed on a pedestal, usually as garden decorations. They became popular decorations in the mid-1800s. There is plenty of folklore surround-
ing the name “witch ball.” Some say it is because witches can use them as divination tools; others say they offer protection from witches’ spells and evil spirits, either by reflecting them away or trapping them inside the ball. Yet another story claims that they were originally called “watch balls” because you could see their surroundings reflected in the glass, making them useful for monitoring a room, if kept indoors, or seeing who is approaching the house, if kept outside. They are also called gazing balls. They are made in many different colors and patterns; glassblowers may have made them as whimsies, which were pieces made in their spare time to practice techniques, use up glass remnants or give as gifts. Like many 19th-century glass forms, they experienced a revival in the 1920s and ’30s. Antique witch balls sell for about $100 to $350. The value is higher if you can identify a maker and narrow down the year it was made.
Q. I have a necklace that’s a long string of red faceted beads. Can you tell me what it might be worth?
A. Your necklace sounds like the art deco style that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Its value will depend on what the beads are made of. We have seen similar necklaces with plastic beads sell for $30-$75; glass, about $50; gemstones, $100-$300. Check any metal parts, like the clasp and any chain links or bead separators, for a maker’s mark or any information about the type of metal. Costume jewelry by a famous maker can be worth more than some pieces with precious stones. Costume Jewelry Collectors Int’l (costumejewelrycollec tors.com) is an organization dedicated to providing educational resources for collectors and can be extremely helpful.
TIP: Watch out for fake Bakelite jewelry being made in Taiwan and other Asian areas. The new plastic is heavier than old Bakelite, and if held under water, it smells very different from old Bakelite. Metal pins or decorations are riveted to old Bakelite but glued to new fakes.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery) and what you know about the item. Include only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear in Kovels Publications.
CURRENT PRICES
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Porcelain, Asian, plate, two quail on ground in center, leafy and blossoming branches around rim, blue and red geometric bands on exterior, Nabeshima, Japan, 8 inches, $30.
Quilt, applique, Sunbonnet Sue, multicolor figures, embroidered animals, hand stitched, crib, 47 x 57 inches, $50.
Toy, radio, station, Remco, sends and receives messages, telegraph, two-way phone, signal detector, flashlight, box, 1950s, $110.
Steuben, candleholder, satin glass globe, free blown, cut to clear, round base, marked, 4 x 4 3/4 inches, $185.
Furniture, mirror, Adam style, giltwood frame, reverse painted frieze, nautical scene, gilt swan’s neck pediment, flower vase finial, trailing bellflowers along sides, scrolled pendant base, 54 x 22 inches, $210.
Lighter, figural, oil lamp shape, scrolled handle, gold tone cap, silver, marked, Roberts & Belk, Sheffield, 1901, 3 3/4 x 5 1/4 x 3 inches, $270.
Porcelain, Chinese, vase, globular, blue and white, dragons, allover scrolling vine, wave border around rim, short foot, pierced side handles, blue seal mark, 15 inches, $290.
Furniture, dry sink, grain painted, two upper cabinet doors, zinc lining, three drawers next to two doors on base, internal shelves, bracket feet, two parts, 74 x 49 inches, $630.
Auto, gas pump globe, Texaco, flat top, eight-sided, alternating flat and ridged faces, green stars on flat faces, milk glass, 9 1/2 x 8 inches, $660.
Toy, tug of war, two platforms on wheels, each with three children, bobs back and forth, windup, Einfalt, Germany, 9 inches, $1,920.
Write to Kovels, The Republican, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803 or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com
30-year US mortgage rate eased to 6.86%
Rates are lowest since early April
By A lex Veiga Associated Press
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage eased again last week, extending a welcome trend for prospective homebuyers facing record-high home prices. The rate fell to 6.86% from 6.87% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.71%.
This is the fourth straight weekly drop in the rate, which has mostly hovered around 7% this year. Home sales have been falling in recent months as the elevated rates, which can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, have put off many home shoppers.
Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes fell in May for the third month in a row. Sales of newly built single-family homes fell in April and May from a year earlier by 7.7% and 16.5%, respectively.
“The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage continues to trend down, hitting the lowest level in almost three months,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “By historical standards, the economy is in good shape, and we expect rates to continue to come down over the summer months, bringing additional homebuyers back into the market.”
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including how the bond market reacts to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy and the moves in the 10year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans.
Deeds
AGAWAM
Benjamin J. Benton to Erin Keavany, 418 Meadow St., Unit D-3, $227,500.
Kmak LLC, and Haczynski Homes LLC, to Frank & Luigi Realty Inc., Agnoli Place, Par B, $10,000.
Mary Judith Kane to Richard A. Larivee and Pamela E. Larivee, 340 Regency Park Drive, Unit 298, $135,000.
Melissa Ann Dargon and Trevin C. Correia to Michael Godek and Victoria Godek, 32 Elizabeth St., $390,000.
Nathan D. Bazinet and Nathan David Bazinet to Lindsay Hartmann, 1 Mansion Woods Drive, Unit H, $276,000.
Patricia L. Cyranowski, Stephen Cyranowski, Douglas A. Miller and Gerald V. Miller to Vyacheslav Babinov, 60 Parker St., $330,500. Sareen Properties LLC, to Stefani Ruane and Kaira Benjamin, 15 Hillcrest St., $390,000.
AMHERST
Nancy K. Gittleman to Thao Thanh Pham, Old Montague Road, $73,000.
Martha Blakey Smith, trustee, and SBD Family Revocable Trust to Eawoftd LLC, 874 North Pleasant St., $615,000.
Lorriane W.B. Desrosiers to Melinda Ann Ewen, trustee, Melinda Ewen, trustee, Melinda A. Ewen, trustee, and Melinda Ann Ewen Inter Vivos Trust, 24 Greenleaves Drive, $220,000.
Marita Banda, personal representative, and Mary J. Elliott, estate, to Dipesh Shrestha and Lilima Shrestha, 170 East Hadley Road, $315,000.
Nicole M. Ciocca to Ramona Tomlinson, Life Estate, Tyler J. Tomlinson and Devin R. Tomlinson, 26 Pine Grove, $235,000.
Nathan B. Green and Rachel E. Green to Nathan B. Green, trustee, Rachel E. Green, trustee, and Nathan B. Green Living Trust, 75 Aubinwood Road, $100.
Nathan Kyle Smith and Sarah Loveland Bunnell to Sunghoon Lee and Hyojin Lee, 55 Woodlot Road, $836,000.
Ronald A. Jacque and Deborah G. Jacque to Anette Millington and Berri Jacque, 1260 West St., $100.
Carol Connare to Daniel L. Finer and Ellen Broselow, 435 Market Hill Road, $735,000.
Hilda M. Puente and Hilda P. Bustamante to Jessica Muskin-Pierret, 8 Foxglove Lane, $625,000.
BELCHERTOWN
Leah Lamoureux to Dennis J. O’Connor Jr., 271 Hamilton St., $260,000.
LaFleur & Son Inc., and L.J. Development LLC, to Brian P. Leduc and Linda G. Leduc, Franklin Street, $75,000.
BLANDFORD
Frederick M. Fedor, trustee, Carolyn F. Fedor, trustee, and Frederick K. Fedor & Frances E. Fedor Family Trust, trustee of, to Calvin Wineland and Desiree Wineland, 11 Brookman Drive, $647,000.
BUCKLAND
Albert C. Buell, Honor M. Buell and Jeffrey M. Buell to Jeffrey M. Buell, 9 Goodnow Road, $60,000.
CHICOPEE
A3 Sheridan LLC, to Sheridan Industrial Park Limited Partnership, 1040 Sheridan St., $6,500,000.
Alexus N. Emond to Clifton Barchard and Teri Barchard, 28 Amherst St., $370,000.
Elliot N. Scher, trustee, Geoffrey W. King, trustee, and 186 & 194 Grattan Street Trust, trustee of, to Green Holdings LLC, 186 Grattan St., $1,350,000.
Joel M. Radner to Maxim Morozov, 83 Thomas St., $362,500.
Kathleen Hein,representative, and Egon Hein, estate, to Gladys Betancourt, 78 Alfred St., $261,000.
Kimberly Dout to James R. Vieu Jr., 36 Harrington Road, $225,000.
Leah Laflamme, representative, Donna M. Duval, estate, and Donna Mae Duval, estate, to Christopher Duprey and Jessica Duprey, 1715 Westover Road, $157,000.
Livingwater Capital LLC, to Hector Miguel Matias and Martha Matias Felix, 373 Hampden St., $440,000.
Robert Haines Jr., to MLM Holdings LLC, and Robert Haines Jr., 46 Medford St., $100.
Robert P. Zimmerman and Susan Kim to Joseph Pasternak, 79 Elmcrest Drive, Unit 19, $453,000.
DEERFIELD
Olszewski Sugarloaf Realty LLC, to Emma Rose Washburn, 93 Sugarloaf St., $465,000.
Kevin R. Kittilstved and Raina K. Kittilstved to Courtney Gagne, 35 Elm Circle, $427,500.
Judith Ann Wells Ress, “nka” Judith Haskell, Linda Jean Wells, “nka” Linda O’Neill, Jane Ellen Wells Lagowski, “nka” Jane Lagowski, Douglas Bruce Wells, “nka” Douglas Wells, Joanne Lynn Wells
Young, “nka” Joanne Young, Debra Lee Wells Madigan, “nka” Debra Madigan, Carol Ann Wells Mizula, “nka” Carol Mizula, Cynthia Jean Wells Alward “nka” Cynthia Wells, and Robert Paul Wells, “nka” Robert Wells, to Ann Marie Konieczny, 64 Sugarloaf St., $360,000.
EAST LONGMEADOW
Andrew Hillson and Rachel Gibson to William R. Bazin and Elizabeth Ann Bazin, 26 Woodlawn St., $420,000.
Arvind Kalyan Sundaram and Riyaa Murugaesh Rekha to Vernard Mercader and Angelica Meneses Mercader, 462 Chestnut St., $375,000.
John P. Swienton and Enid M. Swienton to Brian T. Houser and Elba E. Houser, 32 Deer Run Terrace, $800,000.
Michael J. Wilkins and Rosanna Fantone Wilkins to Thomas Ogoley and Kelsey Ogoley, 160 Stonehill Road, $620,000.
Robert V. Jones, Lois A. Jones and Lois F. Jones to Blais Manuel Guzman and Marianna Alvarado, 47 Hillside Drive, $400,000.
EASTHAMPTON
Karen Sue Kuhr to Patricia Crowley, 1 Autumn Drive, $720,000.
Carol L. Jennison to Linda Mumford, 10 Plumbrook Drive and Plum Brook Drive, $531,000.
Karen S. Alexander to Houda Sahyoun and Bonnie Griffiths, 311 East St., $440,000.
Dorothy M. Burke and Joanna Sherblom, attorney-in-fact, to Deborah J. Asselin, 64 South St., $467,000.
Dianne M. Socha, trustee, Marylou E. DeFillippo, trustee, and DeFillippo 2009 Revocable Trust to Michael S. Lax, trustee, Joan P. Lax, trustee, and Michael & Joan Lax Revocable Trust, 6 Lukes Way, $542,400.
Philip LeBlanc, Samantha LeBlanc and Samantha L. Steben to Amanda Sharron, 100 Line St., $340,000.
GRANBY
Richard T. Ryan to Timothy Ryan and Carrie Kusnierz, 231 Chicopee St., $100.
Mark C. Veitenheimer, personal representative, Ruby C. Veitenheimer, estate, and Eva-Marie E. Holley, personal representative, to Justin Erik Fuglestad and Marissa Lynn Hanley, 51 Kendall St., $307,000.
John D. Giroux and Katherine E. Hutchinson to Michelle Bushey, 7 School St., $650,000.
Elaine M. Chaloux and Elaine M. Bernash to Nicole M. McKinstry, 140 School St., $465,000.
GREENFIELD
Linda Hicks Spencer and William David Spencer Sr., to Kristi L. Ceccarossi and Lynn M. Valle, 37 Congress St., $405,000.
Carlin Barton, trustee of the Elizabeth Keitel Trust, to Aidan McKenna, 18 Orchard St., $300,000.
Hayley L. Gilmore to Eric Lemm and Laura Josephs Lemm, 7 Conway Drive, $185,000.
Jean Smith, “fka” Jean L. Sanders, to Lucas Giusto and Dominic Santaniello, trustees of the Naples Home Buyers Trust, 97 Ferrante Ave., $250,000.
Christopher R. Pastuszak to Wardah Al-Awadhi and Chane Closser, 68 West St., $247,400.
HAMPDEN
Bernadette Ann Parker to Aaron Perreault and Jennifer Marie Patten, 116 Scantic Road, $512,300.
Claudia Muradian-Brubach to Erikas Manerskas, 76 Valley View Drive, $351,000.
HATFIELD
Susan A. Willis, trustee, and Willis Investment Trust to Kathleen G. Munro, 62 Main St., $325,000.
Stanley J. Pitchko Jr., trustee, and Pitchko Family Revocable Trust to James F. Pitchko, 21 Bridge St., $100.
Mark E. Kelleher and Robin M. Kelleher to Daniel J. Jacques and Bethany L. Jacques, 470 Main St., $537,500.
Marilyn L. Fifield to Robert Vollinger II, 7 Dwight St., $335,000.
HOLLAND
Daniel G. Fetko to Kenneth P. Cook Jr., and Nancy Anne Cook, 35 Lakeridge Drive, $480,000.
Kenneth P. Cook and Nancy T. Cook to Derek Sorel and Bethany Verrilli, 26 Hamilton Drive, $302,500.
Ryan P. Murphy and Allison C. Murphy to TNF Investment LLC, 3 Inlet Drive, $230,000.
HOLYOKE
B & B Realty Partners LLC, to Real Estate Investment Northeast LLC, 49 Howard St, $148,000.
Fannie Mae and Federal National Mortgage Association to Joshua J. Abbott Salazar and Evelyn Grace Abbott Salazar, 216 West Franklin St., $234,900.
Francisco M. Ramos and Johanna Supulveda to Wayne Steed, 317-319 Linden St., $400,000.
Holyoke News Co. Inc., to Road Star Express Inc., 720 Main St.,
SEE DEEDS, PAGE F12
Deeds
$700,000.
Mary Lee Lachowetz, representative, and Robert W. Jolly Jr., estate, to Erica Bradley, 76 Merrick Ave., $261,900.
Stephanie Lussier, representative, and William F. Leahy, estate, to George J. Bushey IV, 61 1/2 Arthur St., $292,500.
Taraneh Milani-Roohi and Behnam Roohi to Sophia Martinez, 60 Chapin St., Unit F, $177,000.
HUNTINGTON
Bank of New York Mellon, trustee, Bank of New York, Cwabs Inc., Newrez LLC, attorney-in-fact, New Penn Financial LLC, and Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing to Sebastian Glebocki, 40 Littleville Road, $44,000.
LEVERETT
Anibal Gonzalez-Rivera to Christine G. McDannald and David K. McDannald, Long Hill Road., $115,000. Erica Labb, “nka” Eric Labb, and Whitney Retallic to Matthew Harrison Scott, 7 Dudleyville Road, $55,000.
LONGMEADOW
Denise A. Monday to Alexis Rodriguez and Hannah Melendez, 141 Green Hill Road, $575,000.
Haemin Lee and Moochul Shin to Patrick James Murray, 19 Edgemont St., $375,000.
Hyman G. Darling, trustee, and Eva M. Santaniello Revocable Indenture of Trust of, trustee of, to Sarah Sun Hwa Yi, 167 Pendleton Lane, $1,315,000.
Nathan Jahliyl Hogan and Angelica Hogan to John Weaver and Tevin Weaver, 27 S Park Ave., $440,000. NRES LLC to Quynh Nguyen, 73 Bel Air Drive, $400,000.
Rebecca L. Wales-Szyluk and Rebecca Lee Wales to Stephen Halley Weigant and Morgan Lee Weigant, 102 Belleclaire Ave., $499,999.
Shahnaz Balakhanpour Bozorgzadeh and Ali Bozorgzadeh to Harun Bayindir, 26 Magnolia Circle, $695,000.
Stanley J. Poltack Jr., to Robert Paul Ide and Taylor Rose Ide, 54 Chatham Road, $530,000.
Stephanie L. Walker and Eric Flynn to Tetyana Buescher, 67 Warren Terrace, $332,000.
LUDLOW
Allison M. Jessup to Vanessa E.
Demarco and John Anthony Flynn, 123 Ray St., $335,000.
Candace L. Palaia to Johnny East LLC, 53 Waters Edge Drive, $115,000.
Jan Pieczara to Pawel Pieczara, 19 Waters Edge Drive, $64,154.
Olga Lebedinskaya to Tran Kha Nguyen, Quoc Bao Nguyen and Binhan Nguyen Le, 759 West St., $569,900.
S & C Investors LLC, to Akehurst Homes LLC, 0 Vienna Avenue, $110,000.
Theresa Miner, representative, and Dean Allan Miner, estate, to Summit Ridge Builders Inc., 5 Marion Circle, $211,729.
Whitetail Wreks LLC, to Christopher S. Blondek, Turning Leaf Road, Lot 83, $164,900.
MIDDLEFIELD
Denise Michaud Lucas and Joseph Paul Lucas to Matthew James Clayton and Morgan Elissa Clayton, 153 Skyline Trail, $302,000.
MONSON
Kristen Adams to William Metz, 200 Wilbraham Road, $400,000.
Nathan R. Olson to Thomas Palazzi and Shannon Palazzi, 300 Main St., $358,000.
Thomas Palazzi and Shannon Palazzi to Nathan R. Olson, Munn Road, Lot 2B, $45,000.
MONTGOMERY
Scarfo Construction Co. Inc., and Scarfo Construction Inc., to KBIP LLC, Southampton Road, $375,000.
NORTHAMPTON
Bettie F. Farber to Susan B. Edelstein, 24 Murphy Terrace, $455,000.
Lindsay Hunter and Olivia Scherzer to Shira Bettinger, trustee, Ross Jay Bettinger, trustee, Shira Bettinger Living Trust and Ross Jay Bettinger Living Trust, 311 Prospect St., $930,000.
Crescent Bright Phillips LLC, to Kevin C. Netto Jr., trustee, and Netto 2024 Irrevocable Trust, 103 Crescent St., $100.
Marjorie A. Shearer and Peter L. Shearer to Dexter D. Dong and Kiah Crowley, 160 South St., $775,000.
Loretta Yargeau to Evelene H. Hawley and Stephen D. Hawley, 30 Village Hill Road, $335,000.
Nancy Padula to Robert C. Ferber, trustee, and Revocable Trust of Robert C. Ferber, 60 Laurel Park, $139,000.
Odette Levy to James King and Hannah Arbuthnot, 2 Pomeroy Terrace, $480,000.
Renee S. Wetstein to Jeffrey T. Barton and Gabrielle A. Matese, 17 Harrison Ave., $407,500.
Shannon B. Reilly to Brady Giroux and Christi Giroux, 35 New South St., $499,000.
Minh H. Le and Lizbeth M. Torres to Colin D. Chickles and Shelda T. Chickles, 84 Longview Drive, $370,000.
Gena M. Downey, trustee, and Gena M. Downey Living Trust to Mark Lee Mervine and Barbara Beth Mervine, 392 Bridge St., $315,000.
David J. Narkewicz, trustee, Yelena Mikich, trustee, and David J. Narkewicz & Yelena Mikich Joint Marital Trust to Steven R. Roszko Jr., and Niveen Ismail, 31 South Park Terrace, $725,000.
DTJ Properties LLC, to Kirkpatrick Realty LLC, 8 Villone Drive, $1,400,000.
NORTHFIELD
William A. Richardson to Michael Townsley and Nathalie Townsley, 862 Old Wendell Road, $545,000.
Brenda O’Connell and Pamela Stratton to Diane M. Fuller and Robert F. Fuller, Cross Road, $4,000.
ORANGE
William H. Gale to Joshua J. Beatrice and Molly J. Melanson, 230 East River St., $265,000.
Victoria L. Peele and Zacchary M. Peele to Winridge Holdings LLC, Walnut Hill Road, $37,500.
Shirley Woffenden, “aka” Shirley M. Woffenden, to Emanuele A. Trapella, 25 Rogers Ave., $200,000.
PALMER
David M. Piechota and Ana Lisa Piechota to Michael Pinsonneault, 15 Off Bourne St., $283,000.
Eric B. Robertshaw and Ann M. Robertshaw to Melissa Beaumier, 2118 Baptist Hill Road, $350,000.
Patricia Bernard Waite, trustee, and Waclaw J. Bernard Irrevocable Trust, trustee of, to Thomas J. Olszewski and Renee Olszewski, Springfield Street, Lot 17, $135,000.
Peter P. Skorupski Jr., and Peter P. Skorupski to Colton Skorupski and Jessica Skorupski, 6-8 Crest St., $195,000.
SOUTH HADLEY
Mariana De Oliveira Cortes and Elias Daniel Os to Hannah Laue, 11 Central Ave., $419,000.
Bruce A. Bosowicz and Ellen M. Bosowicz to Bruce A. Bosowicz, trustee, Ellen M. Bosowicz, trustee, and Bosowicz Family 2024 Trust, 32 Kimberly Drive, $100.
Susan A. Koske and Steven P. Koske
to Lance C. Koske, trustee, Corey A. Koske, trustee, Dylan P. Koske, trustee, and Koske Family Irrevocable Trust, 18 Woodlawn St., $100.
SOUTHAMPTON
Alexander Kozodoy, Alexsander Kozodoy and Natalya Kozodoy to James Barry Jr., and Kirsten Holmberg, 19 Duggan Lane, $595,000.
Joyce Ellen Bard and Robert Bard to Alexppark LLC, 52 Valley Road, $342,000.
RGB Industries Inc., to Mary Britton, 29 Bluemer Road, $315,000.
Scarfo Construction Inc., and Scarfo Construction Co Inc., to KBIP LLC, Southampton Road, $375,000.
SOUTHWICK
Hamelin Framing Inc., to Katherine Carrie Garvey and Peter Allan Varley, 18 Silvergrass Lane, $639,900.
Kellogg Bros Inc., and Kellogg Brothers Inc., to Berry Construction Group LLC, 351 North Loomis St., $100,000.
Kevin Meder and Sofia Bobak to Donnell Gregory Hart and Nikki Lee Hart, 10 Dairy Lane, $630,000.
Malcolm D. Debay and Susan Debay to Lauren K. Bolduc, 9 South Road, $255,000.
Richard T. Zapponi Jr., and Laura R. Collins to Wes Properties LLC, 231233 College Highway, $460,000.
Timothy Blais and Diane Blais to Tyler Wild and Shelby Wild, 3 White St., $735,000.
SPRINGFIELD
29 Eton Realty Trust, trustee of, and Bruce Arnold, trustee, to Gabrielle Rodzen and Michaela Rodzen, 29 Eton St., $310,000.
Aaron R. Perreault and Jennifer Marie Patten to Mary Lee Tigner Rasanen, 182 Westbrook Drive, $305,900.
Alicia Lockwood to Michelle L. Ortiz, 11 Sumner Terrace, $400,000.
Andrea M. O’Connor, receiver, and Spring Park Properties Inc., to Ortins Capital Partners Group LLC, 17 Pasadena St., $1,500,000.
Angel Rodriguez Jr., and Berychaina Rivera-Nevarez to JJ17 LLC, 95 Victoria St., $135,000.
Anthony Lezinski, estate, and Rozlyn Sellez, representative, to Laura Acevedo Marquez, 54 Athol St., $255,000.
Anthony P. Stewart Jr., representative, and Arthur F. Bumberger, estatem to PAH Properties LLC, 131 Arvilla St., $130,000.
Archimede L. Jerome to Katherine Cuestas Toledo, 97 Alderman St., $540,000.
Carleen V. Smith and Carleen
V. Charles to Manchester Enterprises LLC, 57 Oakwood Terrace, $150,000.
Chad White and Katharine White to Nathan Calebaugh and Kayleen Gerow, 1883 Parker St., $340,000.
Charlie Pratt, representative, and Perry Johnson, estate, to MS Homes LLC, 7 Jennings St., $45,000.
Christopher G. Banas to Everett Washburne Jr.,154 Laconia St., $298,000.
Courageous Lion LLC, to USA Alpha Capital LLC, WS Marion Street, $35,000.
Crocker Building Co. Inc., to Grit & Gratitude Wrestling Academy Inc., 184-186 Stafford St., $340,000.
Debra A. Allen to Equity Trust Co., custodian, Robert Lareau IRA, and Robert Lareau, 103 Santa Barbara St., $131,000.
Diane M. Guihan, Robert A. Derose, James M. Derose, Donna M. Derose and Paul M. Derose to KHL Group, 49 Jean Dr, $325,000.
Dominic Kirchner II, trustee, and Matahari Realty Trust, trustee of, to Mirlande Georges and Pierryne Francois, 96 Almira Road, $305,000.
Elaina Ann Mendrala, Christina Maria Goyette and Chrstina Maria Goyette to Lourdes S. Townsend and John Townsend, 122 Benz St., $299,900.
Elvin Ramos to Mary Critelli, 98 Corey Road, $335,000.
Emely Figueroa and Carlos A. Aquino to Desiree Velez and Tito Rodriguez, 34 Lorimer St., $400,000. Erica Pagan to Nonye Madufor, 33 Littleton St., $362,500.
Felisha Cortez, representative, and Luis Cortez, estate, to Tyasia Makayla James, 59 Redfern Drive, $200,000.
Geoffrey D. Wilson to Springfield City of Homes Development LLC, 24 26 Los Angeles St., $159,000. George Petropulos, trustee, and Elijah Street Realty Trust, trustee of, to Nkemdilim J. Anam and Nkemdilim Jude Anam, 90 Elijah St., $260,000. Grahams Construction Inc., to Tin Nguyen, Phuong Que Phan and Le Le, 74 Crystal Brook Drive, $600,000.
Hearts & Home Realty LLC, trustee, and 60 Clayton Street Land Trust, trustee of, to Allan Comberbatch and Carol S. Comberbatch, 60 Clayton St., $217,000.
Huguette K. Williams to Posiadlosc LLC, 100-102 West Alvord St., $218,100.
Jacqueline Parker to Randall W. Bevan Jr., and Nicole M. Bevan, 61 Stanhope Road, $250,000.
James Darosa to Victoria Ann Rodriguez, 165 Sawmill Road, $278,000.
Manufacturers typically give pretty clear instructions for installing window air conditioning units. (ADOBE STOCK PHOTO)
What’s the best way to install a window air conditioning unit?
By Jeanne Huber Special to The Washington Post
Q.
I am renting a small, old home without central air conditioning. I have a window air conditioner and the past few years I’ve awkwardly filled in the space around it with a large piece of plywood. It’s hideous and fits horribly. It finally broke apart last fall when I took the air conditioner out.
I have a standard window air conditioner, but the windows are sliding ones. How do I install the AC unit and fill in the space above?
A. Most window air conditioners are designed to fit in windows where the bottom sash — the movable framed glass section — slides up and down. These windows are called double-hung or single-hung, depending on whether the top sash also moves or is fixed.
Either way, the procedure for installing the air conditioner is the same, and manufacturers typically give pretty clear instructions:
James E. Fenlason and Linda B. Fenlason to David Tougias and Deidre T. Shea-Tougias, 90 Park Drive, $580,000.
Jamie R. Martin to Tascon Homes LLC, 184 Gardens Drive, $143,700.
Jesus M. Ortiz to Alexis Maldonado, 115 Piedmont St., $260,000.
Joan M. Carlin to Nancy Mansour-Leigh, 154 Shefford St., $350,000.
Joseph L. Ceresa to Malia Homebuyers LLC, 169 Cooper St., $161,000.
Kec Properties LLC, to Andrea Ciano and Pietro Ciano, 75-79 Sherman St., $250,000.
Kimberly A. Dearing to Dianne Tatro and Paul Keyes, 158 Davis St., $140,000.
Kristen R. Podziemski to Julio J. Bonilla Jusino and Jennyfer Ruiz Pagan, 62 Fargo St., $230,000.
Lavotto Group LLC, to Victor A. Carrillo Ramos, 1275 Worcester St., $316,000.
Vincenzo Liquori Jr., representative, and Vincenzo Liquori, estate, to SH Properties LLC, 34-36 White St., $210,000.
William V. Plourde and Joanne M. Plourde to Claudia Muradian-Brubach, 62 Bartels St., $323,800.
Xiuyu Ma to Anastaysha Roller, trustee, and Cat & The Hat Realty Trust, trustee of, 101 Mulberry St., Unit 505, $85,000.
SUNDERLAND
Sunghoon Lee and Hyojin Lee, “fka” Hyojin Wang, to George Delmonte and Jourdan Miller, 19 Meadowbrook Drive, $535,000.
Keith A. Rehbein to Allison Caron and Raymond Caron, 142 Hadley Road, $645,000.
TOLLAND
Sylvia M. Corbit to Harry Pratt Benham and Debra Jean Benham, Hartland Road, $25,000.
WALES
• Heavy units come with a support bracket that extends outside but usually can be installed from inside; lighter-weight units skip the bracket and are held in place by pressing against window parts.
• Installers open the window and lift the air conditioner into the opening. They position it so the bottom edge of the unit fits against the outside lip of the window stool (a trim piece across the bottom that many people refer to as the sill, although technically that word refers just to the exterior, slanted piece at the bottom of the window.)
• Then they lower the sash and tilt the unit so the bottom of the sash fits into a flange at the top of the air conditioner. The air conditioner tilts downward from the house on the exterior, which helps it shed rain. But probably even more important, it creates pressure pushing inward against the stool at the bottom and outward against the sash at the top. That holds the unit in place, although manufacturers also tell people to add a few screws to keep everything from moving.
Lino Carrasquillo and Feliciano Antonio Bonilla to Paramount Grizzlies LLC, 243 Central St., $420,000.
Lori Rottenberg and Paul Rottenberg to NK First Corp., 235 State St., Unit 325, $180,000.
Manuel Colon to Guilmar E. De Paz Ortega, Flor A. De Paz Ortega and Sindy Rivera, North Side Ringgold Street, $400,000.
Mary Perakis to Jose Obed Morales and Diany Janae Morales, 38-40 Knollwood St., $405,000.
Mishel Ahuatl to Lizbeth Marie Del Toro-Mejias, 23 Parkwood St., $378,000.
Northeast Health Group Inc., and David W. Ostrander, trustee, to Massachusetts Detox Holdings LLC, Nominee, and Boca Health LLC, 0 NS Kendall Street, $146,230.
Onstar Properties AA LLC, to Martin Ssekyewa, 46 Bancroft St., $392,000.
Peter A. Varley and Katherine C. Garvey to Kristen Calkins, 111 Berard Circle, $325,000.
PFGC LLC, to Jean Louis, 99-101 Middlesex St., $295,000.
Roberto Santos to Lucas M. Herrera and Luis M. Reyes, 33-35 Smith St., $350,000.
Roger H. Cant to Evelyn Solivan, 32 Brittany Road, $254,900.
Shannon M. Mann to Joanna C. Laghetto, 45-47 Ranney St., $375,000.
SLC Associates LLC, to Jessica Lizette Galdamez De Galdamez and Jose Fernando Galdamez Galdamez, 107 Dorset St., $273,000.
Fitzgerald Home Solutions LLC, to Melissa N. Fitzgerald and Nicholas D. Fitzgerald, 230 Granville Road, $100.
Francisco Rodriguez Matos and Amanda Rodriguez to Alice Mosijchuk, 102 Falley Drive, $376,214.
Jeffrey T. Pratt and Beth A. Pratt to Jessie Elizabeth Pratt and Chad Matthew Dorsey, 278 Western Ave., $400,000.
John M. Callahan and Ann W. Callahan to Tyler D. Hess and Rachel Hess, 207 Granville Road, $490,000.
Joseph P. Pouliot and Sarah C. Pouliot to Juanita Viveros, 147 Barbara St., $450,000.
Dlemelin Property Management LLC, to Peter Lutaya, 17 Green Ave., $245,000.
Liliya Singh Thakur and Bhupendra Singh Thakur to Dennise Pierce and Paul Schubach Jr., 139 Union St. Unit 34, $261,000.
Michael P. Morin and Alice M. Morin to Viorika Nelson, 71 Flynn Meadow Road, $760,000.
Jody Weidler to Devin Weidler and Tayla Shepard, 22 Tiderman Road, $450,000.
WARE
Christopher A. Hubbard and Emilie Hubbard to Wesley D. Mariere and Christa L. Mariere, 15 Sherman Hill Road, $437,500.
Pamela J. Cappel, personal representative, Michael E. Daigle, personal representative, Claire C. Daigle, estate, and Claire Daigle, estate, to Bank of New York Mellon Trust Co N.A., trustee, and Mortgage Assets Management Series I Trust, 21 Old Belchertown Road, $282,044.
WEST SPRINGFIELD
Bea A. Robinson, trustee, Beryl A. Robinson, trustee, and Bea A. Robinson Trust, trustee of, to Patricia A. Cassinghino, Gregory C. Tudryn, trustee, and Gregory C. Tudryn Living Trust, trustee of, 18 Ivy Hollow Road, Unit 19, $439,900.
Kathleen H. Sweeney to Barbara Konstantopoulos, 76 Beech Hill Road, Unit #33, $515,000.
Mahmoud Jnaed to Sara Tleis and Maya Younes, 17-19 George St., $307,000.
WESTFIELD
Cygnus Properties LLC, to Forest Family Real Estate LLC, 125 Medeiros Way, $605,000. Denardo Realty LLC, to 969 & 979 Southampton Road LLC, 969 Southampton Road, $1,800,000.
Onsite Mammography LLC, to 815 North Road LLC, 815 North Road, $595,000.
Pah Properties LLC, to Syed Sarosh Abbas and Syed Kumail Abbas, 55 Apple Orchard Heights, $560,500.
WILBRAHAM
AC Homebuilding LLC, to Danielle L. Beaulieu, Sandalwood Drive, Unit 100, $493,885.
Fumi Realty Inc., to Blas Joely Nunez Marte and Francia Karina De Jesus De Nunez, 19 Hunting Lane, $196,560.
Marcel Nunes to Tony J. Ribeiro and Kim Marie Morin, 166 Manchonis Road, $297,000.
Michael E. Petrick to Glen J. Rahilly, trustee, and Rahilly Family Irrevocable Trust, trustee of,12 Old Carriage Drive, Lot A, $15,000.
WILLIAMSBURG
Annabelle Belden to Hannah Laird, 65 Chesterfield Road, $63,500.
WORTHINGTON
David W. Whitcomb and Catherine B. Whitcomb to Mariam Massaro, Harvey Road, $80,000.
attractive than the plywood you resorted to.
• Most new units come with extendible pieces and strips of foam to fill in gaps on the sides.
With sliding windows or with casement windows, which crank open, installing an air conditioner gets more complicated. Relatively few units are designed for installation in these windows. Searching the Home Depot website for window air conditioners, for example, turns up more than 140 models, but only two are designed for casement or sideways-sliding windows.
The air conditioners themselves are probably not all that different, although they have more of a vertical look. The big difference is that they come with various attachments that make it easy to support a unit when there is no top sash to lower and to fill in the space above the unit with something that’s more
However, if you already have an air conditioner, you can probably rig up suitable add-on components on your own. To see what type of things you can add, start by reading the installation instructions for a unit such as Frigidaire’s 10,000 BTU Slider Casement Window Air Conditioner ($639 at Frigidaire.com).
Here are some suggestions to guide you.
• For starters, you will probably need a support bracket if you don’t already have one. Make sure it’s rated for the weight of your unit. The Turbro ACS-100 universal window air conditioner support bracket ($38.88 at Home Depot) supports up to 100 pounds, more than sturdy enough for the Frigidaire model, which weighs 72 pounds. The bracket manufacturer notes that it might not be as easy to install on plastic or metal windows, but
Peanuts
In zones 6 and 7, sow seeds indoors about 1 inch deep in individual biodegradable pots, and place them under grow lights or by your sunniest window. Water about once a week and transplant the entire pot outdoors two to three weeks after the soil temperature has warmed to at least 60 degrees and the danger of frost has passed. Starter plants, if using, should be set out at the same time.
Hill soil around the bottoms of plants, as you would potatoes, beginning when they are a foot tall, by applying 2 inches of straw or dried grass clippings around them to encourage “pegging,” or underground seed production.
Those seeds are peanuts, so they must be dug up to be harvested.
Because peanuts aren’t actually nuts but rather legumes, like beans and peas,
if your old house has wooden window frames, it should be easy. It was designed to work with Frigidaire models, as well as some from other manufacturers. Securing the air conditioner to the bracket should hold it in place.
• To fill the gap above the air conditioner, the Frigidaire kit includes a plastic frame with a slot for a plastic insert. You should be able to duplicate a frame made from strips of wood or plastic molding. Make the frame as wide as the window, but give it “legs” that extend down alongside the air conditioner, which will help hold it in place. Use smaller pieces of molding to create a lip above the air conditioner, and fit piece of clear plastic into that area so that you can see out of the window above the air conditioner.
• For the plastic, you can get acrylic or polycarbonate. Acrylic, often referred to as Plexiglas, a brand, costs less than polycarbonate (a.k.a. Lexan, a brand). Polycar-
they capture nitrogen from the air and add it to the soil, so avoid applying nitrogen fertilizers around plants.
Self-pollinating yellow flowers will emerge roughly 40 days after planting. Petal drop is a sign that peanut formation, or pegging, has begun underground.
Depending on your variety and growing conditions, leaves will turn yellow about four to five months after seeds are planted, signaling it’s time to harvest.
Dig up plants — roots and all — shake off excess soil, and place in a dry spot with good air circulation for two to three days until the remaining foliage dries completely. Remove peanut pods from roots, then roast, or store unshelled peanuts in airtight containers. They’ll keep for about a year.
Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the Associated Press and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter.
For older units, you can probably rig up suitable add-on components on your own. (ADOBE STOCK PHOTO)
bonate is less likely to break and doesn’t scratch as easily, but it’s more likely to yellow over time. For your purposes, probably either would work just fine.
• Use strips of foam, rather than caulk, to fill gaps between the frame you make and the window opening in your house. It will make it much easier to remove the setup come winter.
• Consider getting a side panel kit with accordion-type panels that you can extend to fill the gaps on the sides of the air conditioner, such as a Maxclimate kit ($39.99 on Amazon).
Peanuts clinging to a pulled-up plant in Bay Shore, N.Y., in November 2023.
(MELANIE SMITH VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS)
MORTGAGEE’S SALE OF REAL ESTATE AT PUBLIC AUCTION
Monday, July 1, 2024
3:00 PM - SOUTH HADLEY
3 Greenacre Road
sgl fam, 1,712 sf liv area, 0.56 ac lot, 7 rm, 3 bdrm, 2 bth, Hampshire: Bk 12759, Pg 93
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85 Pine Street
sgl fam, 1,536 sf liv area, 0.52 ac lot, 3 bdrm, 2 bth, Hampshire: Bk 11242, Pg
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SPRINGFIELD
Jefferson Ave School Apts
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VILLA TAINO
TOWNHOUSE Apartments
SPRINGFIELD
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BORINQUEN APARTMENTS
SPRINGFIELD
Currently accepting apps for 0,1,2,3,4BR & 0,1,2BR handicap accessible apts These fed assisted apts, offer gas range, refrig, otr micro, diswshr, clg fan ¢ral ac in each unit. On-site mgmt, after hr emergency srvc, ldy facility w/conv loc near hospital & bus rte. Family must qualify under the LIHTC Prgm guidelines. Please apply at 2748 Main St, Spfld, MA 01107 or online at www. morgankaylee.com or call 413-734-1745 or (TDD) 800439-2370.
2longcryptsw/full-sized coffinsinaprivaterm, HillcrestCemetary& Mausoleum,$10,000orB/ O, Call/Text 413-537-5557
Mausoleum Hillcrest Cemetery, Parker Street Sprigfield, Niche holds 2 urns. $2,000 plus ownership transfer fee. Call/text 413-262-3173
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Bengal Kittens for sale, 1m&f,10weeksold,1st shots&dewormed,$800 each,Call802-323-2538 for details
SweetOrangeLonghair Kitten,$200,Call413-2447901
2Chihuahuatinypuppies, 1Mtricolor&1Fwhite, $600, available 7/14, call 413-426-0636
EnglishSpringerSpaniels, AKCregisteredpuppies, b&w,1stshot,vetchecked,8wksold, $1200-1500, 413-596-8190
Husky Puppies, 10 weeks old, black/gray & white, 2 females, 1 male, $450/ each. Please call or text 413-658-5862
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(NAUSEA)
OtherHeartAttackSymptomstoWatchOutFor: Chestpain,discomfort,pressureorsqueezing,likethere’satonofweighton you•Shortnessofbreath•Light-headednessorsuddendizziness•Unusualupper bodypain,ordiscomfortinoneorbotharms,back,shoulder,neck,jaworupper partofthestomach•Unusualfatigue•Breakingoutinacoldsweat
Ifyouexperienceanyoneofthesesymptoms,don’tmake excusesforthem.MaketheCall.Don’tMissaBeat.
Tolearnmore,visitWomensHealth.gov/HeartAttack